Multiple use household tool



0d 31 1950 B. FoRsTER 2,523,128

MULTIPLE USE HOUSEHOLD TooL Filed Sept. 6. 1944 Patented oct. 31, i950 A UNiTEu sTATs PATE-NT OFFICE@ Application September 6, 1944, Serial No. 552,896

In Great Britain April 4, 1944 The present invention relates to a general purpose household tool intended for use by a handyman or householder in performing a number of operations including drivingand pulling nails, tightening and loosening bolts, and driving and removing screws.

' It is an Yobject of the invention to provide a unitary, compact multiple use tool which will perform each operation efliciently and effectively, and in which the various parts closely cooperate with one another in serving a plurality of useful functions.

A further feature of the tool in accordance with the invention is that it can be easily` and economically manufactured and is convenient to use, being suitable for use by unskilled, as well as skilled, persons.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a multiple use tool, the construction of which will be described in more detail below, comprising a body portion having a straight slotted edge portion, an integral elongated handle projecting from the body opposite said straight edge, an integral bulbous ilat-ended protuberanceprojecting from a side ,of the body portion, an integral fixed jaw portion having a straight edge substantially perpendicular Yto the above mentioned straight edge of the body, a convexly curved cuter edge and a concave rear edge intersecting the outer edge to form a sharp Q apex which is notched to form nail-pulling claws, and a movable jaw which is slidable on the straight edge of the body portion and cooperates with the xed jaw to provideV an adjustable spanner and with the nail-pulling r claws to provide a variable fulcrum for pulling nails of dierent size and length.

The construction, objects and advantages of the tool in accordance with the invention will be more fully understood from the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:.

Fig. 1 is a front View of a tool in accordance with the invention. A

Fig. 2 is a side view, as seen from the right hand side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view from the left hand side of Fig. 1, with portions broken away to show internal construction.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the handle portion of the tool, and Y Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front View showing the movable jaw of the tool in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1.

The tool illustrated in the drawings comprises 1 Claim. (Cl. 254-21) a specially shaped flat body portion II, having a straight edge face I2. An aperture I3 extends through the body portion and a longitudinal slot I4 bifurcates the straight edge portion I2 and intersects the aperture I3. An integral elongated handle I5 projects from the body portion I I at the side opposite the straight edge face I2. At the end adjacent the body portion the handle I5 `widens out as indicated at I6, so as to merge'smoothly into the somewhat circular shape of thebody portion. At its outer end the handle is shaped to provide a screw driver bit Il. One face of the han dle is serrated or roughened,` as indicated at I8 (Fig. l), so that it can be used as a le, while the other side I9 (Fig. 4) is provided with di' vision markings or calibrations, so that it ca serve for measuring purposes.

lAn integral bulbous flat-ended protuberance 2l! projects from a side edge of the body portion Ilon an axis approximately parallel to the straight edge I2 and approximately perpendicular to the handle. The protuberance 20 is enlarged at its outer end, as indicated at 2l, `the outer end being substantially circular, as seen in Fig. 2. In'conjunction Awith the body portion I'I, the protuberance 2D with its enlarged end 2| serves as a hammer head for driving nails and other pounding.

An integral fixed jaw portion 22 projects from the body portion II intermediate the straight edge 23 substantially perpendicular to the straight edge I2 of the body portion and approximately quarter-circular convex outer edge 24 curving from the outer end of the jaw to va point adjacent to, but slightly spaced from, the outer end of the protuberance 20 and a concave rearward face 25, which intersects the convex outer face 24 to form a sharp apex 26, which is notched at 21 to form nail-pulling claws 28.

A movable jaw of approximately quartercircular shape has a straight edge portion sliding on the straight edge I2 of the body, a second straight edge 3| which faces and is substantially parallel to the straight edge 23 of the fixed jaw, and an approximately quarter-circular convex edge 32 which, in cooperation with the curved outer edge 24'of the fixed jaw, forms a. fulcrum for the nail-pulling claws 28. A slide 33 carried by the movable jaw 30 is slidable in the slot I4 of the body portion, being retained in said slot by an enlarged portion 34 of the slide fitting into a correspondingly enlarged portion of the slot. The inner edge of the slide is provided With rack teeth 35 which engage a circular rack or worm 36, disposed in the aperture I3 of the body portion and rotatable on a spindle 31. By turning the worm 36 with the ngers, the movable jaw is adjustable toward and away from the xed jaw 22.

In a recess in the movable jaw, there is provided a holder 38 for a series of glass cutters numbered l, 2, 3, 4, and 6, the holder being turned upon a pin 39 to bring any cutter into operative position, and then locked by turning the pin which threads into the holder. The movable jaw is recessed at 40 to provide a gap between itself and the body portion of the tool into which glass can be passed after cutting in order to break it. This gap is shown at 4l in Fig. 5.

With the construction described and shown,

the xed jaw 22 and movable jaw 3u provide a variable fulcrum for the nail-pulling claws 28. By varying the distance between the two jaws, the length of the fulcrum can be correspondingly varied. Variation of the length of the fulcrum varies the leverage and also varies the maximum length of the draw. For a longer nail, it is necessary to provide a longer draw in order to pull the nail all the way out. Ashorter fulcrum, on the other hand, provides greater leverage when a nail is hard to pull,

In. addition to serving as a hammer head, the protuberance l2li cooperates with other portions of the tool in several ways. a compact and convenient tooly the nail-pulling claws are made shorter than the conventional claw hammer. The V-shaped notch 21 is accordingly shorter and the maximum space between the claws is necessarily limited. By reason 5 of this construction, an unusually large nail, such as a spike, might not be fully received into the V-shaped notch and the claws might tend to slip oi. By being positioned just in front of the claws, the protuberance 20 prevents such an occurrence and cooperates with the claws in holding the head of a large nail or spike. The protuberance 26 also provides a fulcrum for prying the claws 28 loose in the event they should become wedged on a nail 0r wedged between the head of a nail and the material in which the nail is driven. In such an event the claws canbe readily freed merely by pushing downwardly on the handle of the tool. The protuberance 20 further provides a guard for the nail-pulling claws to prevent an unskilled user from accidentally getting a nger between the claws and the nail being pulled.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an unusually compact and convenient tool, the various parts of which coop- In order to provide operations in an eicient and eiective manner.

I claim:

A household tool comprising a flat body portion having a straight side edge, an aperture extending through said body portion and a longitudinal slot bifurcating said edge and intersecting said aperture, an integral elongated handle projecting from the body portion at the side opposite said straight edge, an integral bulbous nat-ended protuberance projecting from a side edge of the body portion on an axis approximately parallel to said straight edge and perpendicular to the handle, an integral iixed jaw portion projecting from the body portion intermediate the straight edge and said protuberance, said jaw having a straight inner edge substantially perpendicular to the straight edge of the body, an approximately quarter circular convex outer edge curving from the outer end of the jaw to a point adjacent to, but slightly spaced from, the outer end of said protuberance, and a concave rearward face forming a sharp apex with said outer edge and merging into the adjacent side edge of said protuberance to form an oval recess between said protuberance and the jaw, said apex being notched to form nail-pulling claws, a movable jaw of approximately quarter circular shape having a straight edge sliding on the straight edge of the body, a second straight edge facing and substantially parallel to the straight edge of the fixed jaw and an approximately quarter circular convex outer edge forming in cooperation with the outer edge of the erate with one another to perform a number of 5 xed jaw a variable fulcrum for said claws, a slide carried by the movable jaw and slidable in said slot, and means disposed in said aperture and cooperating with the slide to position said movable jaw at a variable distance from sai fixed jaw.

BERNARD FORSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 389,549 Crosby Sept. 18, 1888. 803,007 Miller oct, 31, 1905.l 812,947 Molkenthin Feb. 20, 1906.- 864,710 Vaughn Aug. 27,1907.

FOREIGN' PATENTS Number VCountry Date 382,603 Germany May 20, 1924 

